It has signed a multi-million pound deal with Sony UK Technology Centre to manufacture the Raspberry Pi computer in the UK for the first time. The Pi, a credit card-sized device designed to stimulate young people's interest in computer programming, was developed by the non-profit Raspberry Pi Foundation and has so far been manufactured in China.

Following huge demand for the Pi since its launch in February, the Sony deal will initially produce 300,000 of the computers for customers across the world.

Following the news Premier Farnell's shares have jumped nearly 4%, up 7p to 191.4p.